Pacific Coast | region, North America | Britannica.com Pacific Coast coast Pacific Coast, region , western North America , possessing two unifying geologic and geographic properties—the Pacific Ocean , which constitutes a natural western border, and the coastal mountain ranges that form the eastern border of the region. The most commonly accepted definition of the Pacific Coast is largely a political one: it defines the region as comprising the U.S. states of California , Oregon , Washington , and Alaska and the Canadian province of British Columbia, formerly a part of the old Oregon Country. Hawaii is frequently included statistically in the “Pacific” states of the United States, even though, as a group of Polynesian volcanic and coral islands lying more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km) off the U.S. Pacific Coast, it has little in common geologically with the mainland states. Before Europeans reached North America, the Pacific Coast was inhabited by native peoples belonging to several culture areas and language families, including the California Indians, the Salishan- and Nadene-speaking Indians of the Pacific Northwest, the Eskimo-Aleut groups of the Bering Sea area, and the Indians of the Columbia Plateau .

The Spaniards were the first to explore the Pacific Coast following Vasco Núñez de Balboa’s discovery of the Pacific Ocean in 1513. By the time of the American Revolution the Spaniards had already gained familiarity with the California coast, cruised in Alaskan waters, established a base of sorts in Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island , and used the coastal waters for part of the famed Manila-Acapulco galleon trade. The Spanish hold on California was to remain unchallenged for three centuries. During the first half of the 19th century, the presence of Americans in California and the United States’ official desire to acquire West Coast ports were among the significant factors bringing on the war with Mexico in 1846–48. By the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, California was included in the Mexican territory ceded to the United States. The discovery of gold in California on Jan. 24, 1848, led the next year to the famous gold rush of the Forty-niners, and in 1850 California was admitted to the Union as the 31st state.

Similar Topics Palestine The northern portion of the Pacific Coast, known as the Pacific Northwest , had a somewhat different history from that of California. Initial Russian interest in the Bering Strait area led to the formation in 1799 of the Russian-American Company , which established trading posts in parts of Alaska. In 1867 Russia sold Alaska to the United States, and in 1959 Alaska became the 49th state in the Union. North of California lay the Oregon Country , a region roughly as large as Alaska and possessing strikingly varied physical features, soil, and climate bound together by the mighty Columbia River . The discovery of Oregon’s rich fur resources led, at the beginning of the 19th century, to an accelerated British and U.S. competition in the establishment of inland trading operations, resulting in overlapping claims to the Oregon Country. After a period of agreed-upon joint occupation, latitude 49° N was established in 1846 as a permanent boundary line to Puget Sound (but not including Vancouver Island).

What had begun as a small American overland migration to Oregon in 1841 (by way of the Oregon Trail) gained momentum, and after the boundary settlement the tide of migration grew steadily; in 1848 Oregon was made a U.S. territory. Oregon was admitted to the Union in 1859 and Washington in 1889. The British area north of the 49th parallel was dominated by the fur trade until the gold strike of 1858. Vancouver Island united with the booming Colony of British Columbia in 1866, and in 1871 the colony became a province of Canada . First connected to the eastern provinces by railroad in 1885, British Columbia developed its timber and agriculture and its Pacific shipping trade. By the second half of the 20th century it had become one of Canada’s wealthiest, most urbanized, and most racially diverse provinces. USA Facts Until the admission of Hawaii as a state in 1959, the American Pacific Coast represented the western borderland area of the United States. As such, the people and the press of this region displayed over the years a degree of regional self-consciousness.

Isolation from the rest of the country was early corrected by regional efforts to bring about a union of Eastern and Western lines of transportation and communication, an enhancement of maritime trade, and adequate coastal military defenses. Since then the Pacific Coast has been obliged to cope with many problems more peculiar to the West than to the East. For example, large-scale immigration from Mexico and Central America has been a major Pacific Coast concern, as has rapid urban population growth beginning during World War II . Another problem peculiar to this region has been the heavy dependence of West Coast business enterprises upon Eastern capital investment. Britannica Stories Pacific Coast Highway | ROAD TRIP USA The amazing thing about the West Coast is that it is still mostly wild, open, and astoundingly beautiful country, where you can drive for miles and miles and have the scenery all to yourself. Between Olympic National Park and San Diego, California For some reason, when people elsewhere in the country refer to the Pacific Coast, particularly California , it’s apparent that they think it’s a land of kooks and crazies, an overbuilt suburban desert supporting only shopping malls, freeways, and body-obsessed airheads.

All this may be true in small pockets, but the amazing thing about the Pacific Coast—from the dense green forests of western Washington to the gorgeous beaches of Southern California—is that it is still mostly wild, open, and astoundingly beautiful country, where you can drive for miles and miles and have the scenery all to yourself. Starting at the northwest tip of the United States at Olympic National Park , and remaining within sight of the ocean almost all the way south to the Mexican border, this 1,650-mile, mostly two-lane route takes in everything from temperate rainforest to near-desert. Most of the Pacific Coast is in the public domain, accessible, and protected from development within national, state, and local parks, which provide habitat for such rare creatures as mountain lions, condors, and gray whales. Heading south, after the rough-and-tumble logging and fishing communities of Washington State, you cross the mouth of the Columbia River and follow the comparatively peaceful and quiet Oregon coastline, where recreation has by and large replaced industry, and where dozens of quaint and not-so-quaint communities line the everchanging shoreline.

At the midway point, you pass through the great redwood forests of Northern California, where the tallest and most majestic living things on earth line the “ Avenue of the Giants ,” home also to some of the best (meaning gloriously kitsch) remnants of the golden age of car-borne tourism: drivethrough trees, drive-on trees, houses carved out of trees, and much more. The phenomenally beautiful coastline of Northern California is rivaled only by the incredible coast of Big Sur farther south, beyond which stretch the beachfronts of Southern California. The land of palm trees, beach boys, and surfer girls of popular lore really does exist, though only in the southernmost quarter of the state. Along with the overwhelming scale of its natural beauty, the West Coast is remarkable for the abundance of well-preserved historic sites—most of which haven’t been torn down, built on, or even built around—that stand as vivid evocations of life on what was once the most distant frontier of the New World.

While rarely as old as places on the East Coast, or as impressive as those in Europe, West Coast sites are quite diverse and include the Spanish colonial missions of California, Russian and English fur-trading outposts, and the place where Lewis and Clark first sighted the Pacific after their long slog across the continent. Last but certainly not least are the energizing cities—Seattle and Portland in the north, San Francisco in the middle, and Los Angeles and San Diego to the south—which serve as gateways to (or civilized respites from) the landscapes in between them. Add to these the dozens of small and not-so-small towns along the coast, with alternating blue-collar ports and upscale vacation retreats, and you have a great range of food, drink, and accommodation options.

Local cafés, seafood grills, and bijou restaurants abound, as do places to stay—from youth hostels in old lighthouses to roadside motels (including the world’s first, which still stands in lovely San Luis Obispo, California) to homespun B&B inns in old farmhouses Pacific Coast Road Trip Maps Northern Washington How to Plan a Road Trip from Seattle to San Diego | USA Today How to Plan a Road Trip from Seattle to San Diego Stunning coastal vistas await on a Seattle to San Diego road trip. (Photo: Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images ) How to Plan a Cheap Road Trip Driving from Seattle, Washington, to San Diego, California, is a classic American road trip. And, yes, it is cross-country, albeit north to south rather than east to west. Along the way you can experience everything from barking sea lions in a cold Oregon cave to the surfer boys and girls of Southern California. You'll encounter heavily trafficked highways in the cities and winding two-lane roads with hairpin turns and jaw-dropping views along the more remote sections of the coast. Good thing you're traveling south, because it makes pulling off onto the scenic overlooks that much easier.

Step 1 Don't take the shortest route. The quickest way to San Diego from Seattle is on Interstate 5, which runs parallel to the Pacific coast but never touches or comes within sight of it, connecting the two cities along a 1,250-mile stretch of blacktop with mostly bland scenery when compared to the coastal route. A road trip is not a race against the clock to get from point A to point B but a chance to experience the best of what lies in between. For a trip along the West Coast, that means hugging the Pacific coastline as much as possible, with occasional detours to visit the best inland attractions and cities. Step 2 Start your road trip on a boat. It might sound counterintuitive, but as anyone who knows the area will tell you, Olympic National Park offers some astounding scenery, and the best way to get there is to take the ferry across Puget Sound.

Guidebook author Jamie Jensen recommends leaving Seattle in this way in his book "Road Trip USA: Pacific Coast Highway." Jensen also points out that the small towns along this stretch are "staunchly blue-collar communities" and "though the tourism trade has been increasing steadily, visitor services are still few and far between, so plan ahead." Stock up the cooler and make sure you have a roadside emergency kit, spare tire, jack and lug wrench in the trunk. Step 3 Pick the right time of year to go, and allow yourself enough time for the journey. Winter is not the best time to leave Seattle on this kind of trip. The season can be intense in Washington and Oregon, with snowy weather, icy road conditions and frigid temperatures. Begin your north-south journey during the warmer months, between late spring and early fall. Figure about 35 hours of driving time to San Diego, if you take the scenic coastal route out of Seattle, according to Pacific Coast Highway Travel (pacific-coast-highway-travel.com). It also recommends avoiding travel during the months of July and August because of the crowds. Of course, your route will vary depending on the detours you take.

Online map generators and itinerary generation tools at such sites as TravellersPoint (travellerspoint.com) help create a route tailored to sites you're interested in visiting. Step 4 Research your lodging options before embarking. Spontaneity is part of the charm of any road trip, but you need to have a general idea of where you'll bed down each night. If you're on a tight budget, consider joining the social networking travel site Couch Surfing (couchsurfing.org) to find free accommodations in someone's home along your West Coast route. Or stick with the many traditional lodging options available along the coast and in the cities. Travel writers Donna Dailey and Mike Gerrard of Pacific Coast Highway Travel have compiled a list of accommodations by state on their website as well as a more thoroughly detailed e-book that you can download to take on the road with you. Step 5 Don't miss the don't-miss sights along the way.

For a once-in-a-lifetime trip, heed the advice of those who've gone before and avoid any detours that lead you away from these must-see spots: Big Sur, with its stunning vistas that are among the most dramatic on the West Coast; Hearst Castle, the palatial former home of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst; the other-worldly looking landscape of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area; the Redwood national and state parks; and Olympic National Park. Tip Plan on doing most of your driving during daylight hours so you don't miss the magnificent scenery of the Pacific Coast Highway, especially in such areas as Big Sur in California, where it's much safer to navigate the remote and winding two-lane road by day rather than in the dark of night. Membership in an emergency roadside assistance organization, such as AAA, can bring added benefits, such as free maps and discounts at attractions and accommodations along the way. References Drive the Pacific Coast Highway: Driving Advice for America's PCH road trip Best Travel Deals Tips . DRIVING THE HIGHWAY: THE BASIC FACTS Do you drive north to south? How long will it take? Where should we begin? Can we do it in a rental car?

Those are the basic questions most folk want to know about driving the Pacific Coast Highway. And the answers are: WHICH DIRECTION? The correct answer is that it depends. There's no right or wrong direction. A lot depends on the season you're traveling. If it's heading towards summer you might want to drive towards the north, to give it time to warm up in Oregon and Washington. If it's past the peak of summer, maybe do the north first and drive towards California, where you know the sun will linger longer. WHAT'S THE BEST TIME OF YEAR? If you're planning to do the whole route then slightly off-season is best. The beach resorts of southern California get packed with people in mid-summer, and the Pacific Coast Highway goes right through or right by many of these places. Who wants to get stuck in traffic? So avoid July and August. Otherwise any time is a good time, but it also depends on the direction you plan to travel in (see above). HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE? As long as you want it to. If you want to do the full 2000 miles, then if you're happy averaging 200 miles a day, it's obviously going to take ten days.

But you'll want some down time too, especially if one person's doing all the driving. So figure on two weeks. If you can spare more than two weeks, you'll be fine. You'll do the whole trip and have fun along the way. Of course, if you can spare two years you might just get to see everything. For details on the drive from Los Angeles to Hearst Castle, go to our LA to Hearst Castle page. WHERE SHOULD WE BEGIN? If you've got your own wheels it's kind-of nice to think of starting at either the Canadian or Mexican border, and driving all the way to the other end. It's a nice notion but it's not always practical. If you're flying into Seattle why drive almost to Vancouver only to turn round and come back again? Likewise if you arrive in San Diego, don't feel you need to drive to Mexico before you can begin your journey. By all means do it if you want to, if that's your personal goal, but don't feel guilty if you can't make it. You get extra time to enjoy the real fun bits, and that's more important to our way of thinking. CAN YOU DO IT IN A RENTAL CAR? Sure, no problem.

Fly into San Diego or Seattle, pick up a rental car and hit the road for two weeks. You will have to pay extra for a one-way drop fee, and one of our website visitors reported a charge as high as $500. It would be cheaper to drive back the fast Interstate route, which can be done in 2-3 days, and return your car to the same place. Even two nights in motels and the gas won't come to $500! Or there's another alternative: take the train. If you can get a good return flight deal flying in and out of the same airport, why not drive one way and catch the Amtrak back again? Or do the train journey first, pick up a car and drive slowly back? The Amtrak Coast Starlight is one of the USA's most beautiful train rides, and it goes between Seattle and Los Angeles every day. CALIFORNIA SHUTTLE BUS Another option is to take the California Shuttle Bus. If you only want to (or need to) drive one way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, you can catch the Shuttle Bus back again.

They have two trips a day, starting at noon and midnight, which are timed to try to avoid the worst of the rush-hour traffic in either city. There are several pick up and drop off points in each location, and fares range from about $20-35 one-way, depending on dates and locations. You need to book through their website to get the best deals, or ring Toll Free: 1-877-225-0287. Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. - Newsroom Newsroom Governor Brown Joins Oregon, Washington, British Columbia Leaders to Combat Climate Change 10-28-2013 SAN FRANCISCO ï¿½ Building on international agreements with China and Quebec to combat climate change, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today joined the Governors of Oregon and Washington and the British Columbia Premier by teleconference to sign a regional agreement to strategically align policies to reduce greenhouse gases and promote clean energy. ï¿½California isn't waiting for the rest of the world before it takes action on climate change,ï¿½ said Governor Brown.

ï¿½Today, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia are all joining together to reduce greenhouse gases.ï¿½ The pact seeks to enhance cooperation through a range of activities, including: ï¿½ Accounting for the costs of carbon pollution in each jurisdiction; ï¿½ Harmonizing 2050 targets for greenhouse gas reductions and developing mid-term targets needed to support long-term reduction goals; ï¿½ Taking steps to expand the use of zero-emission vehicles, aiming for 10 percent of new public and private fleet vehicle purchases by 2016; ï¿½ Enlisting support for research on ocean acidification and taking action to combat it; ï¿½ Adopting and maintaining low-carbon fuel standards in each jurisdiction; and ï¿½ Continuing deployment of high-speed rail across the region. Earlier this month, the California Air Resources Board announced an agreement with Quebec outlining steps and procedures to fully harmonize and integrate their cap and trade programs. Signing the agreement is the latest step in a process to link the two jurisdictions that began more than five years ago.

In April 2013 the Air Resources Board adopted a regulation setting January 1, 2014 as the start of the linkage, which will enable carbon allowances and offset credits to be exchanged between participants in the two jurisdictionsï¿½ programs. The linked programs will provide a working model for other states and provinces that are seeking cost-effective approaches to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. In September, Governor Brown joined China's top climate official, National Development and Reform Commission Vice Chairman Xie Zhenhua, to sign a first-of-its-kind agreement on climate change between the commission and a subnational entity. This followed landmark partnerships established earlier this year on the Governorï¿½s Trade and Investment Mission to China, including agreements signed with Chinaï¿½s Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian to improve air quality and with Jiangsu province to promote renewable energy . Photo captions and a copy of the agreement signed today can be found below: 1.) Governor Brown and Pacific Coast leaders sign action plan on climate and energy. From left to right: British Columbia Environment Minister Mary Polak, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and Washington Governor Jay Inslee. 2.) Governor Brown delivers remarks at Pacific Coast Collaborative leadersï¿½ forum.

3.) Governor Brown meets with Governor Kitzhaber (left) and Governor Inslee (center). For high resolution copies of these photos, please contact Danella Debel, Office of the Governor at Danella.Debel@gov.ca.gov. Photo Credit: Justin Short, Office of the Governor.

Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy PREAMBLE THE GOVERNMENTS OF CALIFORNIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, OREGON AND WASHINGTON, Pursuant to the Memorandum to Establish the Pacific Coast Collaborative of June 2008, as provided for in Article 6; Affirming our shared vision of Pacific North America as a model of innovation that sustains our communities and creates jobs and new economic opportunities for our combined population of 53 million; Recognizing that the Pacific Coast is a region bound together by a common geography, shared infrastructure and a regional economy with a combined GDP of US $2.8 trillion, which makes it the worldï¿½s fifth largest; Acknowledging the clear and convincing scientific evidence of climate change, ocean acidification and other impacts from increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which threaten our people, our economy and our natural resources; Emphasizing that states and provinces around the world are battling climate change through technology innovation and actions that limit greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution while creating economic growth, consumer savings and new jobs; Celebrating that our own governments have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by adopting regulatory, policy and market-based measures that shift energy generation to clean and renewable

 sources, manage energy use through greater efficiency and conservation, and enable and promote consumer choice for clean vehicles; Recalling the findings of the 2012 West Coast Clean Economy report which projected 1.03 million new jobs could be created in key sectors, such as energy efficiency and advanced transportation, assuming the right policy environment; Supporting positive federal action to combat climate change, including President Obamaï¿½s climate action plan and proposed rules to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants; Joining the growing international convergence on the need to secure an international agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, including discussions at the coming Conference of Parties meetings in Warsaw (2013), Lima (2014) and Paris (2015); and Agreeing that meaningful coordination and linkage between states and provinces across North America and the world on actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can improve the effectiveness of these actions, increase their overall positive impact and build momentum for broader international coordination to combat climate change; NOW THEREFORE HEREBY AGREE TO ADVOCATE, ACT AND PARTNER AS FOLLOWS: I.

Lead national and international policy on climate change with actions to: 1) Account for the costs of carbon pollution in each jurisdiction. Oregon will build on existing programs to set a price on carbon emissions. Washington will set binding limits on carbon emissions and deploy market mechanisms to meet those limits. British Columbia and California will maintain their existing carbon-pricing programs. Where possible, California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington will link programs for consistency and predictability and to expand opportunities to grow the region's low-carbon economy. 2) Harmonize 2050 targets for greenhouse gas reductions and develop mid-term targets needed to support long-term reduction goals. Climate scientists have identified the scale of greenhouse gas reductions that must be achieved globally to stabilize the climate. Where they have not already done so, California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington will establish long-term reduction targets that reflect these scientific findings. To advance long-term reductions, Washington already has in place a mid-term 2035 target. California and Oregon will establish their own mid-term targets. British Columbia has already legislated 2020 and 2050 targets and will explore whether setting a mid-term target will aid their achievement.

3) Affirm the need to inform policy with findings from climate science. Leaders of California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington affirm the scientific consensus on the human causes of climate change and its very real impacts, most recently documented by scientists around the world in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changeï¿½s Fifth Assessment Report released in September 2013, as well as other reports such as the Scientific Consensus on Maintaining Humanityï¿½s life Support Systems in the 21st Century. Governmental actions should be grounded in this scientific understanding of climate change. 4) Cooperate with national and sub-national governments around the world to press for an international agreement on climate change in 2015. The governments of California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington will join with other governments to build a coalition of support for national and international climate action, including securing an international agreement at the Conference of Parties in Paris in 2015. The governments of California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington will coordinate the activities they undertake with other sub-national governments and combine these efforts where appropriate. 5) Enlist support for research on ocean acidification and take action to combat it. Ocean health underpins our coastal shellfish and fisheries economies.

The governments of California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington will urge the American and Canadian federal governments to take action on ocean acidification, including crucial research, modeling and monitoring to understand its causes and impacts. II. Transition the West Coast to clean modes of transportation and reduce the large share of greenhouse gas emissions from this sector with actions to: 1) Adopt and maintain low-carbon fuel standards in each jurisdiction. Oregon and Washington will adopt low-carbon fuels standards, and California and British Columbia will maintain their existing standards. Over time, the governments of California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington will work together to build an integrated West Coast market for low-carbon fuels that keeps energy dollars in the region, creates economic development opportunities for regional fuel production, and ensures predictability and consistency in the market. 2) Take actions to expand the use of zero-emission vehicles, aiming for 10 percent of new public and private vehicle purchases by 2016. The Pacific Coast already has the highest penetration of electric cars in North America.

The governments of California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington will work together towards this ambitious new target by supporting public and private fleet managers to shift their procurement investments to catalyze toward electric car purchases and by continuing to invest in necessary infrastructure to enable low-carbon electric transportation. 3) Continue deployment of high-speed rail across the region. Providing high-speed passenger rail service is an important part of the solution to expand regional clean transportation, improve quality of life and advance economic growth. The governments of California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington continue to support the Pacific Coast Collaborativeï¿½s Vision for high speed rail in the region, and will continue to seek opportunities to invest in rail infrastructure that moves people quickly, safely and efficiently, and encourages innovation in rail technology manufactured in the region. 4) Support emerging markets and innovation for alternative fuels in commercial trucks, buses, rail, ports and marine transportation. The Pacific Coast of North America is emerging as a center of private sector innovation and investment in cleaner fuels and engine technologies for heavy-duty trucks and buses, rail, ports and marine transportation.

The governments of California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington will develop targets and action plans to accelerate public and private investment in low-carbon commercial fleets and support the market transition to biofuels, electricity, natural gas and other low-carbon fuels in local and export markets. III. Invest in clean energy and climate-resilient infrastructure with actions to: 1) Transform the market for energy efficiency and lead the way to ï¿½net-zeroï¿½ buildings. Energy efficiency is the lowest cost way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating good local jobs. The governments of California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington will work to harmonize appliance standards, increase access to affordable financing products, and support policy that ensures that energy efficiency is valued when buildings are bought and sold. Our efforts intend to build a vibrant, growing regional market for energy efficiency products and services. 2) Support strong federal policy on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The governments of California, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington will support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyï¿½s initiative to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and emphasize the importance of allowing state flexibility to design ambitious reduction programs within this regulation.

Our jurisdictions will also coordinate and provide joint testimony in federal proceedings on greenhouse gas emissions when appropriate. 3) Make infrastructure climate-smart and investment-ready. The West Coast Infrastructure Exchange (WCX) is demonstrating how to attract private capital for infrastructure projects while increasing climate resilience through best practices and certification standards. To scale up these efforts, the governments of California, Oregon and Washington will sponsor pilot projects with local governments, state agencies and the WCX. WCX also works closely with Partnerships BC, a center of infrastructure financing expertise established by the government of British Columbia that has helped to secure financing for over 40 projects worth more than C$17 billion. 4) Streamline permitting of renewable energy infrastructure. Meeting ambitious carbon-reduction goals will require scaling up wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy and effectively bringing clean power to customers in California, Oregon and Washington. Drawing on emerging models in California and the Pacific Northwest, the governments of California, Oregon and Washington will work with permitting agencies to streamline approval of renewables projects to increase predictability, encourage investment and drive innovation. 5) Support integration of the regionï¿½s electricity grids.

Connecting the markets for buying and selling wholesale electricity in our region can increase local utilitiesï¿½ flexibility and reliability and provide consumer savings by enabling use of a wide variety of energy sources across the region. Integrating our regionï¿½s electricity markets also expands energy usersï¿½ access to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. IV. Interpretation This Action Plan is intended to spur finding new, smart ways for our governments, agencies and staff to work together, and with other governments and non-government partners, as appropriate, to add value, efficiency and effectiveness to existing and future initiatives, and to reduce overlap and duplication of effort, with the objective of reducing, not increasing, resource demands to achieve objectives that are shared. V. Limitations This Action Plan shall have no legal effect; impose no legally binding obligation enforceable in any court of law or other tribunal of any sort, nor create any funding expectation; nor shall our jurisdictions be responsible for the actions of third parties or associates.

SIGNED AT SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL LEADERSï¿½ FORUM OF THE PACIFIC COAST COLLABORATIVE, THIS 28TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2013. ### WSDOT - Pacific Coast Scenic Byway maps, links and information Small Scenic Byways Map (pdf 950kb) - Smaller file for quicker download Large Scenic Byways Map (pdf 7.1Mb) - Greater detail but a longer download time PDF maps fit to print on 8 1/2 X 11 paper Â Designation: Â Washington State Scenic Byway 350 Miles Between Olympia andÂ the Megler Astoria Bridge on the Oregon borderÂ South of Chinook OnÂ US Highway 101 around the Olympic Peninsula and down the Pacific Coast About This Byway Washington'sÂ longest byways encompasses the glacially sculpted peaks and immense forests of the Olympic Peninsula. The byway showcases diverse geography from sea stacks along the wild ocean beaches, to lush estuaries.

Travelers are drawn to the old-growth forests, and unique plants and wildlife of Olympic National Park, the living tribal cultures or the lifestyle of contemporary forestry and fishing communities.Â Explore and Plan Your Trip Plan a trip and find more information about the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, including pictures, maps, sample itineraries and services provided on this byway.Â Â National Scenic BywaysÂ ProgramÂ â Detailed descriptions, stories, maps and itineraries Experience Washington â Washington State Tourism site using a Virtual Earth interactive map Pacific Coast | Adventure Cycling Route Network | Adventure Cycling Association Adventure Cycling Route Network Vancouver, BC to Imperial Beach, CA 5 Map Set (1857.0 mi.) | Addenda Big trees, big waves, beautiful beaches. Along the Pacific Coast Route, you'll get to see marine wildlife such as sea lions, and as you pass you can hear them barking. Take the time to watch as one by one they dive off their rocks in search of their daily meal of fish from the ocean. During the peak tourist season, there is heavy recreational vehicle traffic along U.S. Highway 101 and State Highway 1 along the coast, so cyclists must ride cautiously and defensively.

The route begins in Vancouver, British Columbia and heads south through the suburbs of this large city. Farmlands appear before crossing the border at Blaine into the United States, and you'll continue through more rural country in Washington. After crossing Deception Pass, the route is on Whidbey Island, where there is a large U.S. Naval Reservation, and the loud noise of test jets flying overhead can be heard. There's a pleasant ferry ride over to Port Townsend, which is back on the mainland. The route then winds southward through a series of small towns on the eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula. In Bremerton, if you're interested, you can take a ferry to downtown Seattle and its attractions. You'll then head into logging country and see forest plantations in various stages of development: recently clear-cut, newly planted, middle-aged, or ready to be harvested. At Castle Rock, a five-mile side trip leads to the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, which tells the tale of the volcano's eruption in 1981. A short ferry ride crosses the Columbia River into Oregon to begin a magnificent ride down the coast.

You'll bike along the shoreline and headlands and see mile after mile of spectacular scenery including lighthouses, craggy coastal pines, and rock formations in the water. Innumerable parks dot the coast and invite one to stop and take hikes down to the water for tide pool viewing. Small towns are abundant and cater to the tourists who invade the coast from spring to fall. The California coast is tremendously diverse. You'll encounter massive redwoods, breathtaking coastline vistas, acres and acres of vegetable farms, fruit orchards, and many busy urban areas. The curvy, winding roads along the coast are shared with cars, recreational vehicles, farm trucks and logging trucks, so extra caution is needed by cyclists. There are bike paths in some of the large cities the route goes through, and you'll need all your defensive urban cycling skills to contend with the heavy traffic. But this is California, land of sun and fun (especially along the southern portion of the route). Take advantage and go jump into the Pacific on a whim or watch a beautiful sunset. Soon after passing through Crescent City, you will be biking through awe-inspiring redwood country on roads shaded by trees reaching high into the sky.

A herd of elk live near Orick and are usually easy to spot. The redwoods are a big tourist area, so you'll have the opportunity to bike through trees that most people drive their cars through. After leaving the redwoods, you'll enjoy scenic riding along the Pacific Ocean, where the route climbs and descends along the coastal headlands. Biking over the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco is a real treat, and the route stays on the western edge of the city. Heading southward along the coast, there are numerous state beaches. If you're at the Ano Nuevo State Reserve during the elephant seal mating season in January, viewing the seals is not to be missed. North of Monterey, acres of farms begin to appear in the Salinas Valley, a prime agricultural area known as the "Artichoke Capital of the World." After leaving Carmel, the ride south along the Pacific Coast Highway is the most spectacular portion of the route for many cyclists. This winding, scenic road high above the ocean has been seen many times in television shows, commercials, and movies. Leaving the Santa Lucia Mountains and the coast, it is evident that you've reached "southern" California.

You'll encounter many fertile farms and areas with various degrees of development. Santa Barbara is an easy town to cycle through. When you reach Malibu, you'll find tremendous congestion and view hundreds of trophy homes built into the hillsides or along the beaches. This is the northern end of the Los Angeles megalopolis. Beginning in Santa Monica, the route uses some beautiful bike paths that go right through the middle of the sandy beaches, and then you'll ride through residential and industrial areas before rejoining the Pacific Coast Highway south of the city. All the way to San Diego, there will be a mix of urban cycling through towns, bike paths, highways, and shore roads. Through San Diego and its suburbs, the route follows residential streets and bike paths to the Coronado Pedestrian-Bicycle Ferry, which takes you to Coronado and a bike path along Silver Strand State Beach, then to the route's end at Border Field State Park next to the Mexican border. Photo by Russ Roca The route's terrain in Canada and Washington is flat to rolling hills, with a few climbs. Biking along the Oregon coast means hills, and some of them are steep, but it also means that your spectacular views will be well-earned.

Don't forget that your uphills on one side of a coastal headland mean a downhill on the other side. Northern California is generally hilly, with lots of ups and downs following the coastline. There is a large climb/descent between Leggett and the coastal highway on section 3. The route remains hilly until Santa Barbara. Some sections in the southern part of the route are rolling to flat, especially along the various cities' bike paths along the beaches. This route can be ridden at any time of the year, but spring and autumn are optimal periods to avoid the heavy tourist traffic in the summer. And be forewarned: winter rains can cause flooding and mud slides and may close roads, especially along the northern California coast. Dense fog can also be a problem during any season. Washington and Oregon normally have dry sunny weather in August and September while the spring season is usually rainy. Due to changing local conditions, it is difficult to predict any major wind patterns, but during summer, strong winds will prevail from north to south. There are plenty of services along the route. The Oregon coast draws a large amount of tourists, so it has the facilities to cater to them.

For those who are camping, there are many state park campgrounds near the beaches with hiker/biker sites. In California, there is a stretch between Half Moon Bay and Davenport south of San Francisco that doesn't have much to offer, so plan ahead with extra drinks and snacks. The northern and southern coasts are high-profile tourist areas, so facilities are numerous, but be prepared for higher prices. For those who like to camp, there are many appealing campgrounds at state parks near the beaches, perfect for watching dramatic sunsets. The 60 miles south of Big Sur have very limited services. Some campgrounds will charge a cyclist traveling by himself less if they have hiker/biker sites, but often they will charge the price of a regular tent or RV site, and that can easily be $10-$40/night (higher in tourist areas). The maps list churches that have opened their doors to cyclists, but they aren't all that closely spaced. If you're friendly and ask around, you can often get yourself invited to camp in a yard.

Our routes sometimes go through national forests (moreso in the west) and you are allowed to camp anywhere on national forest land as long as you "pack it in, pack it out." Many city parks are free to camp in. You may also wish to sign up with Warmshowers , a reciprocal hospitality site for bicycle travelers, for other overnight options. Route Highlights Vancouver, British Columbia, Section 1 Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, Section 1 Tillamook Cheese Factory, Section 2 Redwood National Park, Section 3 The Lost Coast, Lost Coast Alternate, Section 3 Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Section 3 Point Reyes National Seashore, Section 3 Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Section 3 San Francisco, California, Section 4 Golden Gate Park, Section 4 Monterey, California, Section 4 West Coast Glamping | California, Washington, Oregon luxury camping 1-30 of 974 accommodations in the hub Pacific West Hide description Show description The Pacific West is known as the most green area in the continental US not only for its beautiful landscapes but also for its ecological lifestyle.

The states of Washington, Oregon, and California are home to some of the most breathtaking natural monuments such as Crater Lake in Oregon and Big Sur coast of California so it's no wonder that this region boasts the most glamping sites in the US. What better way to finish off a day of hiking in the expansive outdoors of this region than relaxing with a delicious glass of red wine? The Pacific West also produces North America's most celebrated red wines. The vineyards provide an authentic, rustic backdrop to your glamping experience.

Question: America, the Pacific coast: which state is between Washington and California?
Answer: Oregon